Battlefield Poem by vanessa Geriks

Standing here on the battlefield,
I hold the only weapon I know,
I have nothing more than paper as my shield,
Anxiously I wait.

Armed for war I hold my gun,
Pointed at enemy lines,
All I want to do is run,
But anxiously I wait.

I hold back fire until I sense danger,
Instinct overthrows my emotions,
The tip of my gun is pointed at the stranger,
And still, anxiously I wait.

Everything feels wrong out here,
Who am I to end a life?
I picture my family shaking in fear,
No longer will I wait.

I point the gun at his head,
As he runs straight towards the bushes,
I almost put him in his bed,
But I stop, and gasp in horror.

As he comes closer I realize why,
I was so hesitant to kill,
I remembered that I had seen this guy,
Because ‘this guy’ was me.